Sinn Féin makes up majority of candidates
Votes from the Local Elections on June 7 will be brought to SETU Arena for counting on June 8.
Of 79 Local Election candidates for Waterford, 18 of those candidates are running for Sinn Féin, with no other party meeting those candidate numbers but Independents making up 22 of the candidates.
As housing and immigration still remain as voters' concerns, Sinn Féin Councillor Jim Griffin told the Waterford News & Star that other issues are being brought to his attention such as: footpath repairs; street lighting and speeding in housing estates.
"The majority of people is saying that road signage no longer exists. Nobody takes any notice of signage in this country anymore, and there has to be measures that actually work.
"There's a huge support for the national speed review, which is supposed to take place in quarter four of this year," said Cllr Griffin.
With the emergence of new right-wing political parties in the Waterford elections, Cllr Griffin was asked if he thinks Sinn Féin will lose votes to these parties, particularly voters focusing on housing and immigration. Cllr Griffin responded: "I don't know if the polls are reflecting hearsay, but we're not seeing that on our on the doors when we're canvassing."
"I'm finding that people are saying to me, 'we just hope that Sinn Féin is not going to be another Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael if you get into power," continued Cllr Griffin.
"'And the reason we're going to take this chance with Sinn Féin is because the other option is the same old' or, they have to go with some parties that might eventually be extremists.
"For that reason alone, I think we might get a bounce that no one else has seen because I think voters are a little bit afraid of what might happen if they don't vote for Sinn Féin, and they're so mad with the three main Government parties, they're a little bit apprehensive now," he concluded.
